Note books



Jan. 24, 1956 c. F. ALLISON- NOTE Booxs Filed July 16, 1952 ATTORNEY United States Patent NOTE BOOKS Charles F. Allison, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 16, 1952, Serial No. 299,170

7 6 Claims. c1. 129-18) This invention relates to improvements in note books. More particularly this invention relates to improvements in note books wherein the leaves are readily inserted and removed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved note book wherein the leaves are readily inserted and removed.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 768,385 which was filed August 13, 1 947, for Note Books, and which issued August 19, 1952, as Letters Patent No. 2,607,351.

The present invention provides a note book wherein the covers press against the leaves and resist shifting of those leaves, but wherein each leaf is held individually and can be inserted or removed without disturbing any of the other leaves of the note book. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a loose leaf note book wherein the covers press against the leaves, but wherein each leaf can be inserted or removed from the note book without disturbing the other leaves of that note book.

in the note book provided by the present invention, a resilient element is provided that performs the dual' function of supporting each of the leaves against accidental dislodgment, and also presses the covers toward each other so they can hold the leaves against shifting. By doing so, this one element makes it possible to remove and insert one or more leaves without disturbing the rest of the leaves. Moreover, this element always keeps the notebook as compact as it can be kept. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a note bookwitli a resilient element that holds the covers together and provides individual support for the leaves.

The resilient element of the present invention is preferably positioned forwardly of the hinge of the note book. Where this is done, the resilient element will always exert a closing force on the covers that will tend to keepthe note book closed. This action is further insurance that the leaves will be held against accidental loss or displacement.

Other and further objects and advantages 'of the present invention should become apparent from an examination of the drawing and accompanying description.

In the drawing and accompanying description two preferredembodiments of the present invention are shown and described but it is to be understood that the'drawing and accompanyingdescription are for the purpose of illustration only and do not limit the'invention and that the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

1 In the drawing, Fig. l is a perspective view of the covers and back for a note book that is made in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of one of the leaves that is usable in note books made in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another note book that is made in accordance with the principles and teachings of covers 10 and 12.

2,731,967 Patented Jan. 24, 1956 book shown in Fig. 3, and it shows those covers in juxtaposition to each other,

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the tabbed separators of the note book shown in Fig. 3, and it shows those separators in juxtaposition to each other, and

Fig. 6 is a partially broken plan view of the back, covers and separators of the note book of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 10 denotes the front cover of a note book that is made in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention; and that note book has a rear cover 12 and a. back 14. Covers 10 and 12 and back 14 are made of a material that is relatively inexpensive, readily obtainable and relatively stifi. Several materials can be used; among which are paper, cardboard, metal, cellulose esters, polyvinyl esters and the like. The front and rear covers 10 and 12 are made separate from the back 14, and the back 14 has a reentrant portion 18 and a second reentrant por tion 20. The reentrant portions 18 and 20 of back 14 are parallel to the front and rear covers 10 and 12, and those portions of back 14 overlie the rear portions of the The front and rear covers 10 and 12 and the reentrant portions 18 and 20 of the back 14 have undercut slots 22 therein which are in register with each other. The slots 22 are L-shaped in configuration. While the L-shaped configuration is preferred, the slots 22 may be given any suitable configuration. The slots 22 extend inwardly from the upper and lower edges of the covers 10 and 12 and reentrant portions 18 and 20 of back 14 as shown in Fig. l. The covers 10 and 12 can be permanently secured to the back 14 by cement, adhesive, stitching or the like, or they can be releasably held in assembled relation by means of a resilient binding element, not shown, which would span the spaces between the slots 22 and would extend downwardly along the outer faces of the reentrant portions 18 and 20 of the back 14.

The rear edges of the front and rear covers 10 and 12 are provided with alternating projections 26 and notches 28. The projections 26 on the front cover 10 are disposed opposite to and in register with notches 28 on the rear cover 12; and the projections 26 on the rear cover 12 are disposed opposite to and in register with notches 28 on the front cover 10. The projections 26 on the front cover 10 thus are able to interleave with the projections 26 on the rear cover 12 and act as a hinge for the covers 10 and 12; and the projections 26 on the covers 10 and 12 interlock to prevent shifting of one cover vertically relative to the other cover.

The undercut slots 22 will receive a resilient binding element, not shown; and that element may be a band or a. string which extends through and spans the space between the slots 22 at the top of the note book, then extends downwardly along the outer faces of the reentrant portions 18 and 20 of back 14, and then extends through and spans the space between the slots 22 at the bottom of the note book. This element may be a band or string of elastic material, as for example rubber, synthetic rubber, or rubberized fabric, or it may have an elastic portion and a non-elastic portion. In the latter case, the elastic portion may include a band or string of elastic material or an extensible spring. The portions of the resilient binding element which extend horizontally between the inner faces of front and rear covers 10 and 12 will receive the notches 32 in the upper and lower edges of the leaves 30.

In inserting a leaf 30, the notch 32 in the bottom of the leaf 30 can be placed in register with the lower portion of the resilient binding element and can be pressed downwardly to force that portion of the resilient binding element downwardly until the upper edge of the leaf 30 is below the upper portion of the resilient binding element. At that time the leaf 30 can be tilted until the notch 32 in the top edge thereof is in register with the upper portion of the resilient binding element, whereupon the leaf 30 can be moved upwardly into locking engagement with the resilient binding element. The upward and downward movement of the leaves 30 will not tend to dislodge the resilient binding element from the slots 22 in the back 14 and in the covers it) and 12, because those slots 22 are undercut. In assembling the various component parts of the notebook the resilient binding element will be passed downwardly into the area bounded by the back 14, the upper portion of the resilient binding element Will be raised upwardly and slipped into the upper slots 22, the lower portion of the resilient binding element will be moved downwardly and slipped into the lower slots 22, and then the resilient binding element will be moved rearwardly into the horizontally disposed portions of the slots 22. Once in this position, the resilient binding element will be held by frictional forces between itself and the covers 10 and 12.

The back 14 will bend to permit opening or closing movement of the covers 18 and 12; and it will be noted that the vertically extending portions of the resilient binding element are disposed within the space bounded by the back 14. As a result, the resilient binding element must stretch whenever the note book is opened, and the resilience of that resilient binding element will enable it to urge the front and rear covers 10 and 12 together and thus tend to keep the note book closed. The action of the resilient binding element in moving the front and rear covers 10 and 122 toward each other and in holding the note book closed serves to reduce the overall thickness of the note book and also serves to hold the leaves 30 against shifting. Such action minimizes the forces to be borne by those portions of leaves 38 adjacent the notches 32. The binding 14 also serves to cover and protect the resilient binding element so that the resilient binding element cannot engage foreign objects.

The note book can be opened to any particular page or place, and a leaf or leaves can be inserted or removed without disturbing the rest of the leaves 38. The stretching of the resilient binding element will cause that element to hold the rest of the leaves 30 even more tightly against the front and rear covers til and 12. The selected leaf or leaves can, however, be withdrawn easily.

In Fig. 3, the numeral 34 denotes the back of another note book that is made in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention; and that note book has a front cover 36, a rear cover 3 5, tabbed separators 46 and 48 and leaves 66. The back 34 overlies the front portions of the front and rear covers 36 and 38; and the back 34 is held in assembled relation with those portions of the front and rear covers 36 and 38 by cement, adhesive, stitching or the like. The rear edges of the front and rear covers 36 and 38 are provided with alternated projections 4-2 and notches 44 and notches 43. The notches 43 are shorter of length than are the notches 44; the notches 43 being only slightly longer than the length of the projections 42, while the notches 44 are several times The projections 58 on the tabbed separators 46 and 48 alternate with notches 60, 62 and 64. The notches 62 are the longest, and they each receive one projection 58 and two projections 42. The notches 64 are the next longest, and they also receive one projection 58 and two projections 42. The notches 60 are the shortest; receiving just two projections 42. This dimensioning of the notches provides sufficient space for the projections 42 and 58 to interleave readily and to rotate readily. The interleaved projections 42 and 58 coact with the resilient binding element 24 to hinge the covers 36 and 38 and the tabbed separators 46 and 48 together. The resilient element 24 will normally hold the covers and the separators, and any inserted leaves 66, in parallel relation; but it will yield to permit the elements of the note book to assume the positions of Figs. 3 and 6. The resilient element 24 will not only yield to permit relative rotating of the covers 36 and 38 and the separators 46 and 48, but it will also slide through the eyelets 40 and the openings 54 to permit such relative rotation. The combined yielding and sliding of the resilient element 24 enables the covers 36 and 38 to be rotated to a position one hundred and eighty degrees apart. Whenever the covers 36 and 38 are rotated to that position, the resilient element 24 will urge the projections 42 toward the notches 43 and 44; and the engagement of those projections with those notches will provide frictional forces that will releasably hold the note book fiat.

The front edge of the separator 46 is provided with a tab 50 and the front edge of the separator 48 is provided with a tab 52. These tabs facilitate ready location of any desired leaves of the note book.

The eyelets 40 of the front and rear covers 36 and 38 and the openings 54 of the separators 46 and 48 loosely receive and loosely hold the resilient binding element 24 of the note book; and that element is shown as a band or a string which extends through and spans the spaces between the eyelets 40 and the openings 54 at the top of the note book, then extends downwardly along the outer surfaces of the covers 36 and 38, and then extends through and spans the spaces between the eyelets 40 and the openings 54 at the bottom of the notebook. The portions of resilient binding element 24 which extend horizontally between the inner faces of front and rear covers 36 and 38 receive the notches 68 in the upper and lower edges of the leaves 66. The portions of resilient binding element 24 which extend horizontally between the inner faces of front and rear covers 36 and 38 are separated a distance less than the height of any leaf 66 but greater than the distance between the apices of the notches 68 in those leaves. Thus the said portion of the resilient element 24 can confine the leaves 66 and yet not press upon those apices.

the length of the projections 42. The notches 43 and 44 of the front and rear covers 36 and 38 are in register with and receive the projections 42 of those covers. As indicated in Fig. 4, the projections 42 of the cover 36 will be above and immediately adjacent the projections 42 of the cover 38, and there will be spaces betwcen'bottoms of the projections 42 on cover 38 and the tops of the projections 42 on cover 36. These spaces are large enough to receive the projections 58 on the tabbed separators 46 and 48; and those projections are in register with those spaces. In this way, the projections 42 of the front cover 36, the projections 42 of the rear cover 38, the projections i 58 on the tabbed separator 46, and the projections 58 on the tabbed separator 48 interleave to prevent relative vertical shifting of those covers and those separators. The front and rear covers 36 and 38 are provided with eyelets 40. The tabbed separators are provided with openings 54 that are in register with the eyelets 40.

The note b ook construction shown in Fig. 3 makes it possible to hold a large number of leaves 66 in a note book, and to remove any one or more of those leaves without disassembling the front and rear covers 36 and 38 or the tabbed separators 46 and 48 from the assembled note book. In inserting a leaf 66, the notch 68 in the bottom of the leaf 66 can be placed in register with the lower portion of the resilient binding element 24 and can be pressed downwardly to force that portion of the resilient binding element 24 downwardly until the upper edge of the leaf 66 is below the upper portion of the resilient binding element 24. At that time the leaf 66 can be tilted until the notch 68 in the top edge thereof is in register with the upper portion of the resilient binding element 24, whereupon the leaf 66 can be moved upwardly into locking engagement with the resilient binding element. The leaf 66 can also be inserted or removed without applying any pressure on the resilient binding element 24. This can be done by bowing the leaf 66 so that the upper notch 68 ofthe leaf 66 is displaced beneath the upper portion of the resilient binding element 24 at the same time that the lower notch 68 of the leaf 66 is dishepam a in,

placed-above the lower portionof the resilient binding element 24 'Whereas two embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in the drawing and accompanying description it should be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes can be made in the form of the-invention without affecting the scope thereof. What I claim is:

1. A loose leaf note book that comprises a front cover,

a rear cover, -a resilient binding element, confining surfaces on said front and rear covers in the form of passages extending through said covers that loosely surround and receive said resilient binding element, notched leaves, and alternated notches and projections on the rear edges of said front and rear covers, said front cover and the projections thereon being substantially flat, said rear cover and the' projections thereon being substantially flat, the notches and projections on said rear cover registering with the projections and notches on said front cover, said projections and said covers being stiff whereby separating movement of the-front edges of said front and rear covers will cause said projections on the rear edge of saidfront cover to move into the notches in the rear edge of said rear cover and will cause said projections on the rear edge of said rear coverto move into the notches 'in' the rear edge of said front cover to enable said projections to act as a hinge, said confining surfaces being intermediate said projections and.the front edges of said front and rear covers, said resilient binding element extending between said confining surfaces and spanning the space between said front and rear covers and biasing said front and rear coverstogether at said confining surfaces, said notched leaves normally being held in assembled relation with said front and rear covers by the lodging of said resilient binding element in the notches of saidnotched leaves, said resilient binding element being extensible and said resilient binding element being movable relative to said confining surfaces to permit said covers to be rotated to a position one hundred and eightydegrees apa'rt,'said resilient element being held in assembled relation with said front and rear covers by said surfaces during rotation of said covers and during the insertion and removal of leaves. I

2. A loose leaf note book that comprises a front cover, a rear cover, a resilient binding element, confining surfaces on said front and rear covers in the form of passages extending through said covers that loosely surround and receive said resilient binding element, notched leaves, and alternated notches and projections on the rear edgesof said front and rear covers, said front cover and the projections thereon being substantially flat, said rear cover and the projections thereon being substantially flat, the notches and projections on said rear cover registering with the projections and notches on said front cover, said projections and said covers being stiff whereby separating movement of the front edges of said front and rear covers will cause said projections on the rear edge of said front cover to move into the notches in the rear edge of said rear cover and will cause said projections on the rear edge of said rear cover to move into the notches in the rear edge of said front cover to enable said projections to act as a hinge, said confining surfaces being intermediate said projections and the front edges of said front and rear covers, portions of said resilient binding element extending between said confining surfaces and spanning the space between said front and rear covers, said resilient binding element biasing said front and rear covers together at said confining surfaces, said notched leaves normally being held in assembled relation with said front and rear covers by the lodging of said resilient binding element in the notches of said notched leaves, said resilient binding element being extensible and said resilient binding element being movable relative to said confining surfaces to permit said covers to be rotated to a position one hundred and eighty degrees apart, said portions of said resilient binding element being-spaced apart a distance slightly less than the height-of said leaves, said resilient element being held in assembled relation with said front and rear covers by said surfaces during rotation of'said covers and during the insertion and removal of leaves; A} v 3. A loose leaf note book that comprises a front cover, a rear cover, a resilient binding element, confining surfaces on said front and rear covers-in the form of passages extending through said covers that loosely' surround and receive said resilient binding element, notched leaves, and alternated notches and projections on the rear edges of said front and rear covers, said front cove r and the projections thereon being substantially flat, said rear-cover and-the projections thereon being substantially flat, the notches and projections on said rear cover registering with the projections and notches, on said front cover, said projections and said covers being stiff whereby-separating movement of the front edges of said front and rear covers will cause said projections on the rear edges of said front cover-to move into the notches in the rear edge of said rear cover and will cause said projections onthe rear edge of said rear cover to move into the notches in the rear edge of said front cover to enablesaid-projections to act as a hinge, said confining surfaces being intermediate said projections and the front edges of said front and rear covers, portions of said resilient binding element extending between said confining surfaces and spanning the spacebetween said front and rear covers, said resilient binding element biasing, said front and rear covers together at said confining surfaces, said notched leaves normally being held in assembled relation with said front and rear covers by thelodging of said resilient binding element in the notches of said notched leaves, saidresilient binding element being'extensible and said resilient binding element being movable relative to said confining surfaces to permit said covers to be rotated to a position onehundred and eighty degrees apart, said portions of said .resilient"binding element being spaced apart a distance slightly less than the height of said leaves and,

being spacedapart a distance slightly greater than the distance between the notches of a leaf, said resilient element being held in assembled relation with said front andrear covers by said surfaces during rotation of said covers and during the insertion and removal-of leaves.

4. Aloose leaf note book that comprises a front cover,

a rear cover, a resilient binding element, confining surfaces on said front and rear covers in the form of passages extending through said covers that looselysurround and.

receive said resilient binding element, notched. leaves, and alternated notches and projections on the rear edges of said front and rear covers, said front cover and the projections thereon being substantially flat, said rear cover and the projections thereon being substantially fiat, the notches and projections on said rear cover registering with the projections and notches on said front cover, said projections and said covers being stiff whereby separating movement of the front edges of said front and rear covers will cause said projections on the rear edge of said front cover to move into the notches in the rear edge of said rear cover and will cause said projections on the rear edge of said rear cover to move into the notches in the rear edge of said front cover to enable said projections to act as a hinge, said confining surfaces being intermediate said projections and the front edges of said front and rear covers, said resilient binding element extending between said confining surfaces and spanning the space between said front and rear covers and biasing said front and rear covers together at said confining surfaces, said notched leaves normally being held in assembled relation with said front and rear covers by the lodging of said resilient binding element in the notches of said notched leaves, said resilient binding element being extensible and said resilient binding element being movable relative to said. confining surfaces to permit said covers to be rotated to a position one hundred and eighty degrees apart, said projections'on said front and rear covers interleaving when ever said note book is open to prevent shifting of one cover vertically relative to the other cover, said resilient element being held in assembled relation with said front and rear covers by said surfaces during rotation of said covers and during the insertion and removal of leaves.

5. A loose leaf note book that comprises a front cover, a rear cover, a resilient binding element, confining surfaces on said front and rear covers in the form of passages extending through said-covers that loosely surround and re- 1 ceive said resilient binding element, notched leaves, a plurality of tabbed separators, confining surfaces on said tabbed separators in the form of passages extending through said separators that loosely surround and receive said resilient binding element,'and alternated notches and projections on the rear edges of said front and rear covers, said front'cover and the projections thereon being substantially fiat, said rear cover and the projections thereon being substantially fiat, the notches and projections on said rear cover registering with the projections and notches on said front cover, said projections and said covers being stiff whereby separating movement of the front edges of said front and rear covers will cause said projections on the rear edge of said frontcover to move into the notches in the rear edges of said rear coverand will cause said projections on the rear edge of said rear cover to move into the notches in the rear edge of said front cover to enable said projections to act as a hinge, said confining surfaces on said front and rear covers being intermediate said projections and the front edges of said front and rear covers, said resilient binding element extending between said confining surfaces on said front and rear covers and spanning the space between said'front and rear covers and biasing said front and-rear covers together at said confining surfaces on said frontand rear covers, said notched leaves normally being 0 held in assembled relation with said front and rear covers by the lodging of said resilient binding element in the notches of said notched leaves, said resilient binding element being extensible and said resilient binding element being movable relative to said confining surfaces on said f'rontand rear covers to permit said covers to be rotated to'a position one hundred and eighty degrees apart, said tabbed separators and the said confining surfaces thereon facilitating the normal maintenance of the spacing between the cover-spanning portions of said resilient binding element.

6. A loose leaf note book that comprises a front cover, a rear cover, a resilient binding element, confining surfaces on said front and rear covers in the form of passages extending through said covers that loosely surround and receive said resilient binding element, notched leaves, a plurality of tabbed separators, confining surfaces on said tabbed separators in the form of passages extending through said separators that loosely surround and receive said resilient binding element, and alternated notches'and projections on the rear edges of said front and rear covers and on the rear edges of said tabbed separators, said front cover and the projections thereon being substantially fiat, said rear cover and the projections thereon being substantially flat, each of said tabbed separators and the projections thereon being substantially flat, the notches and projections on said rear cover registering with the projections and notches on said front cover and on said tabbed separators, the notches and projections on one of said tabbed separators selectively registering with the projections and notches on another of said tabbed separators and on said front and rear covers, said projections on said front and rear covers and on said tabbed separators respending to separating movement of the front edges of said covers and tabbed separators to intermesh and act as a hinge, said confining surfaces being intermediate said projections and the front edges of said front and rear covers, said resilient binding element extending between said confining surfaces on said front and rear covers and spanning the space between said front and rear covers and biasing said front and rear covers together at said confining surfaces on said front and rear covers, said notched leaves normally being held in assembled relation with said front and rear covers by the lodging of said resilient binding element in the notches of said notched leaves, said resilient binding element being extensible and said resilient binding element being movable relative to said surfaces on said front and rear covers to permit said covers to be rotated to a position one hundred and eighty degrees apart, said tabbed separators and the said confining surfaces thereon facilitating the normal maintcnance of the spacingbetween the cover-spanning portions of said resilient binding element. t

9 ,References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 132,836 Keech Nov. 5, 1872 594,203' Gilson Nov. 23, 1897 1,105,505 'Gearhart July 28, 1914 1,571,173 Parsons Jan. 26, 1926 1,905,097 Irving Apr. 25, 1933 2,607,351 Allison Aug. 19, l952 

